The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-22
THE COMMON SCHOOL QUESTION.

THE COMMON SCHOOL QUESTION.
The discussion which has been going on for
some time in st. Louis relative to reform in
the public school system will eliminate in
election for members of the school board to-
| day. In some of the main features the stu
alton in st. Louis closely resembles that in
this city, and the discussion there has run on
line parallel with the one recently had here.
With large debt and prospective deficit, the
revenues less than the expenditure, the high
school overloaded with ornamental branches
inadequate school accommod ations and thou
sand of children running the streets for want
of seating capacity, the question in st. Louis
was what TO do. The situation and the ques-
ton in this city were much the same. In ST.
Louis as here, there was a demand for
retrenchment and it was met in much the
same way that it was here, viz. by makeshift
expedients and by propositions to reduce
teachers salaries and adopt policy of cheese
pairing economy in the lower grades. The
expensive features of the high-school and the
German humbug were deemed too sacred to
candidate for reelection, is reported as saying
Il don't see how you going to retrench.
We appointed committee on retrenchment,
and they couldn't find anything to retrench
except the salaries of teachers, and when
that question came up there was such a howl
raised that instead of cutting down we raised
some | don't where we retrench
unless it be by cutting down the course of
study. We might leave off hygiene and
physiology. I don't think they are neces-
sary."
DO those branches cost much7"
mo; the regular teachers teach them, but
they take time that we might spend more
pro6tably."
1--WE might leave off hygiene and physioI-
ogy," said the member, and save little
time, but there was no suggestion of cutting
off German and saving money well time.
That way of retrenchment did not occur to
the board. Our board considered and rejected
it. The general situation is summed up by
the st. Louis Republican, as follows:
''This town needs practical common schools
in which the rudiments will be taught in the
language of the country. 1t needs more
schools, that the 60, 900 children, for whom
there is room at present, can have an op-
portunity of sharing in the benefits of public
instruction. The schools suffering from
an overdose eff Hegelian characterization in
the abstract idea of their management. and
from an overdose of bossism, bummerism.
joobery and know nothingism in the concrete
idea of their practical management"
st. Louis is worse off than this city, for
there has been no suggestion of bummerism
or jobbery in our school management, and
only faint trace Of bossism. But the other
conditions strikIngly similar So the dis
cussion in st. Louis eliminated in a mass
pendent ticket for members of the school
board on the following platform:
81. That State and national politics should
have nothing TO do with the management of
the public schools.
80 That in spite of scarcity of funds ad-
dItional buildings and teachers should be
provided till every child of school age asking
admission may be received without over
crowding rooms or overworking teachers.
%. That rigid economy should be observed
in the erection and furnishing of new build
ings.
81. That no language but the English should
be taught at public expense in the primary
and district schools"
We put this platform on record for future
use. It will keep. and we may need it in this
city some time It sounds the keynote of
public school management that will ultimate
~ be taken up in every American city and
made the starting point of practical reform
in school management. 1t is not conceived
in a spirit of hostility to the public school
system. No American would harbor such a
thought for moment. On the contrary, it is
a conservative movement for the preservation
of the true idea of the public school by re-
turn to fundamental principles, and to save
essential things by sacrificing essentials.
It is quite likely that the independent candi-
dates nominated on the platform above quoted
may be defeated in st. Louis to-day, but the
movements thus inaugurated will go on, and
will eventually triumph